Indeed, Ghost Rider did not return quietly, immediately (and literally) lashing out at Aida in the name of seizing the Darkhold. And though Robbie was able to decapitate one of the LMD goons, Aida teleported away before he could give her anything more than a really nasty burn on her forearm.

Amid worrying what Elena has gotten herself into in the Framework, and unaware that Ivanov is busy framing Daisy for the (near-and-how-was-it-not-fatal) shooting of General Talbot), Coulson & Co. gleaned that Robbie was back on the scene. Meeting up with him, he explained that he was able to easily track Aida because in her new form, she is made of the same otherworldy muck as the Darkhold. He is probably able to vanquish her, he reckons, though he can never seem to get close enough, fast enough. Though he does get the chance to make quick work of a Daisy-bot, depriving us (and Aida) of seeing the Inhuman fight herself.

Meanwhile in the Framework, that world is deteriorating, thanks to a very scorned Aida. Rescued from Hydra by Radcliffe, Elena tracks down Mack and meets the (fake) daughter he can’t bring himself to abandon. As things and people vanish around them, they and others board a shuttle out of town, where Elena starts to state her case. “I would never want to take this away from you,” she says, “but I thought that if you looked into my eyes, you would remember us.” Their talk is interrupted by disappearing road before them, and then the vanishing of fellow passengers, until it’s just the four of them inside.

Arriving at Mack’s home/the location of the backdoor Daisy created for them to use as an exit, Hope overhears Elena say that Mack’s daughter isn’t real, a fear her dad quickly soothes over. He then hugs Hope for all she’s worth, prepared to wait out whatever awaits them in the Framework — and Elena stays by his side, not wanting to live in a world without him. But when Hope herself disappears, Elena and then eventually Mack return to the real world, where he assures her that “there is nothing to forgive,” that he relishes the time he got with the daughter he never had. Plus, it gave him a taste of the life he can have now, “with you.”

Aida, meanwhile, still is gunning to make Fitz hurt, and bad. Jemma tries to sneak up on Aida, only to have the scalpel in her hand used against her plunged into her chest. Aida makes Fitz beg for Jemma’s life, only to eventually proceed to kill her rival for his affections. ‘Cept, that wasnt really Jemma, Aida realizes, when the real one shows up to plug her full of bullets from a machine gun. Coulson then springs another surprise on Aida, by turning into the Ghost Rider and proceeding to incinerate her into ashes. Robbie then returns to his… whatever, but not before exchanging cryptic words with Coulson about why the Ghost Rider made the “deal” that allowed Coulson to serve as a temporary host. “I don’t envy you,” Robbie said to Phil before leaving, making May curious.

With Elena and Mack back, Aida destroyed, and guilt-ridden Fitz reassured that “we are all in this together,” that everyone made mistakes in the Framework, the team uses their last moments of freedom before getting corralled for Talbot’s shooting, Mace’s death, etc. to grab a bite at a diner — until, as excepted, men in black and toting guns arrive for them. But oddly, one of them uses a gizmo to “freeze” the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents where they sit, noting that a “two-minute window” is closing.

Afterward, in the bonus scene, Coulson is seen waking up inside a bunk of sorts, where he “pulls open the shades” to gaze out upon… the cosmos of outer space. “All right, Phil. Enough sight-seeing,” he says plainly, as if just another day at the quarry. “Get back to work.”

Where is Coulson, and why? Is he alone? (Are there any Guardians zooming around in that galaxy?)As executive producer Jeffrey Bell told TVLine, they have “something quite different” on tap for Season 5, which will air Fridays at 9/8c, when S.H.I.E.L.D. returns in late fall/early winter.

Quite the opening tonight! Too bad Radcliffe’s real world dead, as he’s turning into quite the hero. His “death” was quite poignant too!
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And Robbie: “I’m here for that.” (Points to Darkhold. Takes all out w/ flaming chains. Scares the crap out of our now animated LMD…) Glad to see his car survived all the SHIELD carnage. SO glad to have him back to vanquish our Madam Hydra to the place where she belongs.
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Poor General! What a way to go! I guess they didn’t destroy all the Daisybots after all! Could that have been a Talbotbot instead of the real general? But I’m not understanding how Robbie failed to get the Darkhold right away, and how it ended up in an International Cabinet Meeting!
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In fact, the whole middle was quite confusing. I knew it had to be a Jemmabot because of the way Fitz was reacting…but throughout the ep, it was SO HARD to tell who was real and who was not. And how did Robbie become Coulson? Or should I say “pass the rider” to Coulson? (Yes, I know a “deal,”… but how?) More Darkhold manipulations of the spectral plane? (This season makes me want to see Dr Strange again!) But that scene where he melted Aida was really something! I’m hoping Robbie’s new abilities means he can come back to help the team again next season.
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And that scene where Hope disappeared…HEARTBREAKING! “Daddy, I want to be real!”
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I am quite HAPPY that this was not a series finale, as quite frankly, it was not up to the quality of the last few eps. It was still better than most shows on TV, just not the best of SHIELD. LOVED the nonchalant diner scene and the quiet end of the Faux World at the end there. And WTH did they go from there? (Hawaii, to tie in with the upcoming Inhumans?)

I’ve been thinking about this whole Friday Night Death Slot thing, and it could be good. What saved SHIELD was its DVR numbers, so hopefully, the total number of viewers won’t go down; just the live viewer numbers will. Second, back in the day, the TGIF lineup was quite a thing. It was ABC at its height. They’re moving 2 of the shows with lower numbers but strong fandoms to form a “Thank Goodness It’s Fantasy” night. The two fandoms could attract stronger numbers both ways. I am just sorry we’ll have to wait until Inhumans finishes its run to see more SHIELD. But the move, and the new marketing, something SHIELD never really had, is what could guarantee this fandom SEVERAL more seasons.

I think they’ll be fine on Friday. When Smallville moved to Friday nights all those years ago it shocked a lot of people when the numbers held. Same for Grimm which did decent enough on Fridays to see the series all the way through.

Genre shows hold their own on Friday nights, and ABC giving them a full 22 episodes is a real show of faith.

My big worry is the quality of the Inhumans show. Between the last season of Dexter and the poor execution of Iron Fist, Scott Buck being at the helm scares me a little.

Personally, I’d rather have seen the Bobbi/Hunter spin off, but we shall see. I don’t like it “stealing the spotlight” from SHIELD though. When it was 1st proposed, I joked that SHIELD was becoming an Inhumans show, so I wasn’t sure we needed another.

I’m running out of adjectives to describe how awesome this show has become. I did kind of wish Aida got a more deserving death at the hands of Gemma and/or Daisy I thought it was cool to see Phil as GR although, those of us, who have read the comics knows what that means. I don’t care if you stick it on Friday ABC (which I’m sure they are doing so they have an excuse to cancel it next season, being Friday is where shows tend to go when they die) I will watch it and everyone I know will be watching it. Here’s hoping for many more seasons because this is one of the best shows on Television.

I’ve been thinking about this whole Friday Night Death Slot thing, and it could be good. What saved SHIELD was its DVR numbers, so hopefully, the total number of viewers won’t go down; just the live viewer numbers will. Back in the day, the TGIF lineup was quite a thing. It was ABC at its height. They’re moving 2 of the shows with lower numbers but strong fandoms to form a “Thank Goodness It’s Fantasy” night. The two fandoms could attract stronger numbers both ways. I am just sorry we’ll have to wait until Inhumans finishes its run to see more SHIELD. But the move, and the new marketing, something SHIELD never really had, is what could guanantee this fandom SEVERAL more seasons.

MOST of those older shows getting a new life on other channels were originally part of TGIF. Yes, those were sitcoms, but I DO like the potential of a “TGIFantasy” block for a few years. :)

That’s an interesting point – DVD numbers and all that- but if business is behind the change of comedy on Friday for fantasy/SciFi/Comics and Dvr numbers aren’t good for ad revenue (please can skip ads on dvr) than isn’t shield at risk of live numbers drop?

The drop in live watching is what put SHIELD on the bubble; streaming includes the overseas and of course “resale/ppv” streaming market. IIRC, Carter wasn’t released on DVD here, but only overseas. I think that, and the fact it’s “finding” an audience in syndication means that live numbers already do not means as much as far as SHIELD goes, so it’s not going to be the live numbers that make or break it. And SHIELD is a cheap commercial for the Marvel movies in a way, where the buzz can be just as valuable (if not moreso) to the marketing wonks. The live numbers were dismal, but IIRC it was near the bottom for live watching, but in the top 3 for time shifting #s, which are starting to count. Binge-watchability is starting to be a factor in renewal decisions, and SHIELD is a bingable show. (See SyFy’s 12 Monkeys experiment.)
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Besides, as Matt pointed out on Twitter, lots of other “cult” shows have prospered on Friday nights. It is not necesarily the death slot for a genre show. I just can’t believe I’m going to have conflicts on Friday night. (I hear Blindspot is moving there too.)

Yup! SHIELD and OUAT BOTH have suffered from shrinking numbers, but have strong, vocal fan bases. Only difference is the SHIELD fans are all discussing how they’re going to follow their show, while the OUAT fans are all whining and threatening to bail. :) But they ARE planning to market it as the Fantasy Night, and they think OUAT and Inhumans/SHIELD will encourage fantsdy fans to tune in. Not sure about what the 3rd show is, and Matt is probably done reading comments for the night, but I think it may be another new fantasy-type show. So it actually could be the shot in the arm BOTH shows need, with OUAT being the show the family watches, while they watch SHIELD after sending the real young ones to bed.
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If I didn’t follow Matt and other entertainment writers on Twitter, where “Death Slot” was being bandied all day, I’d probably still be on that bandwagon myself. But I have rethought that…

ABC just ran Last Man Standing on Friday’s for six seasons, I seem to remember Fringe surviving there for a while as well. I think the ‘Friday Night death slot’ idea is well overrated, it might be the place they are putting it so that they can accept that the ratings aren’t too bad for a Friday and keep it.

I’m very out of the loop with Marvel-verse so I have absolutely no idea what they’re setting up for next season. I’m just so freaking relieved there IS a next season, even if we have to wait a bit longer for it. I did actually think last week’s penultimate episode was better than the finale though. Not to say the finale was poor, but I think the pacing was a little off. Aida’s demise was a little anticlimactic. Yay for Jemma getting to pump her full of lead first though. Over this pod has been phenomenal, I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Great stuff. The Mac, Hope, and Elena stuff was a bit on the cheese side but still a very great finale indeed. Lots of fakeouts. Seriously was worried that one or both of FitzSimmons were goners. Adrian’s protrayal of Talbot never disappoints. I am going to miss John Hannah. Lots of awesome action and drama. Loved the last space tease as well. Awesome!

Season finale was really good, action packed and emotional. Good to have Robbie back kicking butt. Cool Coulson became Ghost Rider for a bit. Glad Talbot is not dead. Sad for Mack to lose his daughter again. Elena and Mack’s scenes was great. Gonna miss Radcliffe so much. Who are the group that took the team. So surprised about the ending! Can’t wait to see what happens in Season 5! Season 4 was great.

So Robbie – the portal he opens is very Dr Strange reminscient. Is that a simple nod to magic being in the MCU now or is simply that magic folk get to open portals like that.

I felt like Yandu (but not him) came to gather Shield and they are now flying around working ships or something. I kind of what to see Phil hanging out and chatting it up with Groot, because Phil is the ultimate FanBoy and I adore him

There were many references to Doctor Strange during this season. The Darkhold, the different dimensions, and the gateway Robbie opened with his chain looked like the same magic Doctor Strange uses. I also liked how they used the multi-dimensions to explain the Ghost Rider’s origins. Instead of being a supernatural demon, the rider is actually an entity from the same dimension that the Darkhold came from. I wonder if the rider was ever a disciple of Dormammu?

LOVED the finale I wasn’t so sure about the season during the LMD pod but glad it paid off in the end. I kinda feel like they could have done a 2-hour finale because it felt a bit rushed (unlike the OUAT 2-hour finale that dragged a bit for me). Overall solid season looking forward to seeing what’s next!

I really hate it when they finish the finale episode with this time jump crap. I hated it with Daisy/Skye last year and I don’t care for this “agents in space” final scene. It seems like a cheat . . . as if Mutant Enemy doesn’t want show what happened . . . only tell.

Great finale!!!
That scene with Daisy and The Rider working together was the coolest thing I ever have seen on this show. And then Coulson fan girling over it was so hilarious.
Can’t wait to for season 5!!!

i didn’t know tonight would be the season finale, i thought it was the penultimate episode, and it was a bit of a let down compared to the other episodes from this arc. aida was very easily defeated in the end, i wish we could’ve seen her put up a little more of a fight, although her and coulson teleporting all over town while in mid-fall was pretty awesome.
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was very excited to see robbie again and that they actually gave him something significant to do. wish he could’ve stayed but who knows, there’s always next season.
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little disappointed about the framework was left. no real goodbye’s to ward and trip, that was very disappointing, their final appearances seem very anticlimactic now. although i guess with ghost rider hunting anything darkhold-related would probably never survive long in the real world. just curious if the writers ever had any intention to bring any of the framework-folk back?
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elena kind of disgusted me this episode. she showed almost zero empathy for mack’s situation while in the framework. she just kept talking about how hope wasn’t real, first infront of mack and hope and then late ron when she KNEW hope could overhear her. i understand she wanted mack back and she was desperate to make him understand, but this could’ve been handled differently. especially afterwords in the real world, when mack easily forgave her and then talked about having that life with HER. ehm no. glad mack came back though, that was something i was worried about.
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curious and excited about next season, it looks good and mysterious so far!

Sorry I had to give this a B loved Robbie coming back and the fight scenes with Quake are exactly what I have been waiting for most of this season, What let the episode down was the ongoing soap with Mack and elena it took to long and eventually other storylines suffered like May and Coulsons hook up. Fitz and Simmons resolving some of there issues instead we got Mack and Elena which became tiresome and predicable. Space next season hopefully this will tie some of the Guardians Kree and start us on the journey to Infinity Wars and Miss Marvel heres hoping the TV universe and the MCU finally are coming back togeather like in season 1.

Very odd, I thought wrote a post last night posted, but it’s not here. Anyway it echoed everything good said about the show here. Mallory Jensen was amazing this season. To play an emotion-less robot, to a “human” pretty much not in control of her new emotions, she was amazing on both ends of spectrum.

But no mention being made about who tried to kill Yo-Yo as soon as she got into the Framework – Ward???? It looked like him!! And that means Radcliffe “killed” him. The scene with Radcliffe at the beach was pretty cool. I know he wasn’t all good, but he was mostly good and I love John Hannah so I will miss him. All amazing performances tonight!

I stopped counting how many times I opened my mouth or raise arms during this final !!! The only one show who makes me feel like that. No time to breath during 42 Mns, between action or emotionals scenes and after the repartee that kills at the right time.
it was just incredible, thanks thanks thanks crazy and brillants writers for this final and this amazing Season 4.
i would never understand why this show has so low ratings.
incomprehensible, really. what’ s wrong with you american people ( i ‘m joke) there is no show looks like this

It was so satisfying to see Daisy and Robbie working together. They fit seamlessly. I have always liked the chemistry with those two actors. Even when Robbie was “ghostless,” he was like Daisy’s right hand. I am glad he got a rest from the ghost for a bit and was able to be part of a team. That had to be like a vacation for him. I think it lifted his spirits, no pun intended. I agree that it was too much Mack and Yoyo. I am glad Mack had the experience of parenting Hope til the end (framework corruption), but I never had a sense that his relationship with Yoyo was that “die with you” deep. They were too underdeveloped as a couple to have so much time in this episode. I would have preferred a portion of their time used on fallout with Fitz and Jemma. I loved the lines about Maybot being more supportive and Aida getting therapy. I was scared for Jemma and wanted her to stop mouthing off at Aida before I knew that it was Jemmabot. During the gunshot scene, I knew Jemma had the upper hand so I wanted her to hurt Aida’s feelings with verbal shots to go with the gunshots. How did Taggert survive that head wound?! I am thrilled that AoS got renewed! I will be re-watching these last episodes on the DVR. I need to go back and watch this entire season again. Fantastic tv.

I think the ending with Coulson hints at the ORIGINAL SIN -storyline from the comics, where Nick Fury served as a “Man on the Wall”, protecting Earth from alien threats not as a head of SHIELD but as a space… cowboy. His visual thing on comics was him standing on an asteroid in space. He was then replaced by the Winter Soldier, who became the new Man on the Wall. Also, once again, standing on top of an asteroid in an asteroid field.

So i think the asteroids are a visual hint about the task of being the Man on the Wall and the space station is not SWORD’s HQ but instead the lonely, isolated base from the comics.

Loved this episode. AoS always nails their finales. The Coulson secret has me interested already. As a comic nerd the thought of them in space makes me hope Sword comes into play since that is pretty much Shield in space. AoS can stand for Agents of Sword next season.

The ending made it seems as if SHIELD could now be working from space, although the meteors in the image make it clear they’re away from Earth. I have to wonder if they’re going to be dealing with the Kree next season. They’ve been referred to in the past on the show especially with the TAHITI project so it would fit.

Gosh,the show is on fire.I thought that Fitzsimmons’s scene was real cos I was shedding tears.Dang,that Robbie Reyes is one hot son of a gun…*hottie alert*.That first fight scene between Aida and ghost rider literally killed me.Coulson and Co,I see you

With the space tag, and the entire Inhumans series leading into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s next episode, I can’t help but wonder if the royal family ends up being brought into the main series. And perhaps with the next season leading into Infinity War?

I think I loved this arc out of all of them they have done on the show! The dual worlds. The dangers of AI. The regrets we all have and how most of the time things in the real world worked out for the best. May and the little girl. Fitz and his father. The consequences of our choices and how they can become so devastatingly bad. Being shown that there is good and bad in us all and how that bad can be rationalized out of fear……man that one was a hammer/nail to today’s reality.

I thought the finale was well done. Right amount of heart, tension, action, and two endings…one funny, one surprising. I am glad they redeemed Radcliffe in the end. He was a selfish ass, but he was not wholly a monster. And his ending was beautiful, bittersweet and funny at the same time. I liked the scene with Fitz and Simmons where she asked if he wanted Aida dead. And his reactions when Aida did die. Fitz has sooooo much therapy time coming his way. I found it telling that Simmons’ LMD told Fitz he did this……’You did this Fitz’. I wonder if that will come back next season in their interactions. Then again….what in the blazes is happening next season?!?!?

Man, that ending for Radcliffe was probably the best character death I’ve seen for awhile. And Hope’s digital-death was pretty much a tearjerker.

Some of the plot was a bit rushed and felt boring compare to the emotional journeys of the characters. I hope next season puts the core cast front-and-centre of the stories, rather than make them react to the latest Ghost Rider/LMD/comic-easter-egg.

Though I do admit I’m a little sad Ward didn’t get looking-glassed back into reality. I figured they wouldn’t be expanding their cast with the budget tightening for next season, but hope springs eternal. Maybe Daisy saved that bit of code and the LMDs can be built in space?

Anyone else think the Jemma-bot was a copout? We haven’t seen Jemma-bots at all this season, unlike the room full of Daisy-bots (where’d they go?), so to have one on-hand at that exact right moment, followed by Aida not recognizing a fellow robot? Especially one she stabs and electrocutes?
Felt like a cheap reveal.